Diary for George Lush Finlay, 1915-1918 - Part 9

are reassuring and
state that our retiring
has been orderly and
that we are fighting
hard inflicting very
heavy losses.
Whether we can hold
hold him or not is the
question. He may
succeed to a greater
extent but it would
seem that he must
take a breather
soon.

Mar 14 Yesterday was
a breezy day which
was full of rumours
bad & good. The A.S.C.
C.O. got the wind up
and told all 20^th Div.
people to move from
Beaulieu to Carrepuits
That was altered later
 

to land at all but we
reas quite pleased when we
were told that there would
be a route march through
the city that afternoon
with the possibility of further
leave on Sunday.
We did our route march
& got properly drowned.
as it rained very heavily
After a bun fight on Green
Point we marched back
to the boat & then were
informed that there would
be a concert at the
Feather Market to which
troops were to be marched
both to & back. I had
to pull out much to my
disgust but when I got
there I met Bunbury
who was on picquet duty
& with him I went to
the Cadarga hotel

What's the result of
all this going to be
of course we don't
know. I don't think
he's going to be very
successful. One
never knows however.

Mar 22^nd The Hun is still
attacking in great
force and has
succeeded in pushing
us back about 5 miles
He is using mass tactics
employing a great
number of men in a
manner which seems
to show that he does
not care how many
he loses.
Reports back here
are conflicting and
some extremely
pessimistic & others
 

at the invitation of one
M^r Boden the proprietor
On Sunday morning
Church parade & on
Sunday afternoon a
route march so there
was not much opportunity
given of seeing the city.
In the evening the men
went to a tea at the
Feather Market which
was followed by a
concert, needless to say
the concert was not
very well patronized
I went to the Cardaga
Hotel with others for
dinner and stayed
there till about 9.30
then coming back to the F.M.
to pick up the men.
The town is rather pretty
Tablan although very
attenuated in that it

on the XVIII corps
front.
The 59^th Bn have
just moved forward
to occupy the rear
one third should be
in position in about
four hours. I am
remaining at Beaulieu
with a few odd details
and although I'm
out of danger here
I feel rather bored 
with the prospect of
perhaps 10 days
of suspense. With
luck I might get
forward to the Divisional
Hqrs and continue
my attachment but
I expect that they'll
be too busy to worry
about me
 

runs round the foot of
Table Mountain which
forms a magnificent
background, being composed
of what looks like like
grey granite. Being
3500 feet high it naturally
catches a great deal
of cloud & the cloud
affect on the top & round
the side is very fine.
The city seems to be
very clean although
there is a very bad
coloured where more
than one Australian
has been sandbagged
or doped, and robbed.
I only saw one
pretty girl.
Two days out from
Capetown we buried
a man, who had been
suffering pneumonia

In the event of an
attack on the XVIII
Corps front, I stay
at Beaulieu with
the details. I should
therefore not see anything of
the fun.

Mar 21^st Attack delivered
by the Hun this
morning along a front
of about 70 miles -
from the Scarpe to the
Oise Bombardment
started at 4.30 this
morning the order to
stand to coming
at 5.30. The infantry
attack was cancelled
between 7 and 9
and up to 12 noon
the Hun had made
progress to the extent
of 1000 yards or so.

 

which had supervened
on meningitis. There
are no more cases
so far fortunately
& I don't suppose there
will be until we
get to England as
we are getting into
the hot weather now.
We have about
90 cases of measles
aboard & the whole
poop deck is isolated
on their account.
The epidemic seems
to have died out
now as their does
not seem to be any
rush of patients now.
It was on account of this
meningitis & these
measles cases that we
thought we would
not be allowed

Mar 20 Bde standing to
on account of
information given last
night by two deserters
that the enemy would
attack on the 21^st, the
preliminary bombardment
of our positions
commencing at 12
midnight tonight
Heavy T.M. fire is
to be employed on
our two front lines,
lighter guns are to be
silenced by H.E. and
heavy gas shelling is
to settled our heavier
batteries.
Prisoners states that
the gas to be used
is of a new kind
and will burn
through leather. It is
supposed to be toox good
for our masks
 

ashore, but I think
that it was solely on
account of the behaviour
of certain of the
Australian troops
who have preceded us
having painted the
town red.
According to the
few inhabitants I
have met they certainly
have hit things up
mainly on accou
through being absolutely
bottled, and is most
cases, by the
vile nigger liquor
When at the Cadarga
Hotel I met a man
called Hucton who
was on the Pericles
when she foundered
& who knew Charlie
Carter. The skipper
 

north again to be
attached to another
Div. He also told
me that the General
put in a very nice
report about me "in
fact" he said you
couldn't have wished
for a better." Which
is very nice to know.

Mar 11^th Still at Beaulieu
no Bosch attack
of any size yet
with exception of two
minor affairs at Houthouler
& Polygon Wood. Am
rather annoyed at
having to hang on here
and so waste time.
Division held a
race meeting for
the 9th and most
successful affair.
 

of our boat was the
chief officer of the
Pericles
our next stop is
the Cape Verde Islands
where we go for orders
I don't know how long
we will be there but
I expect it will only
be a couple of
hours. Then straight
on to England or
whereever we may
be going There is
a wild rumour afoot
that we go to Bantry
Bay but of course
there is no truth in
it.
Both Ricketson
Miekle are down
with tonsillitis Ric
being quite ill
He does not seem to be 

is held ready to proceed
to any portion of the
front should the Bosche
break through. Certain
French Divisions are
in the corps.
Expect to move to
Division in four days
time. I wont be sorry
to leave Bde for
I've had nothing to
do and consequently
time has hung heavily
on my hands

Mar 2^nd Heard today
from Delassoe that
Division have wired 2 Fld Coy
to find out what I'm to do
for as I originally
was appointed from
XXII Corps and as the
Div is now in another
corps I expect that 
I may have to go up
 

very popular with their
men having been
sticking it in, in the
way of punishments.
I had 21 cases at
orderly room this
morning, all being A.W.L.
at the Cape. No other
unit had as many &
it either shows that
that have well disciplined
men or that the officers
are not doing their job.
Think it is the latter.

Aug 23^rd Rumours start again.
We know that the German
fleet came out again &
got smacked, but
rumours fly round to
the effect that five or
six cruisers are on the
loose. Don't think there
is any truth in it

Feb 20^th Moved from
Wallon Cappel to
Beaulieu near NESLE
a town in the Somme
area which had
been taken by the
French in the Bosche
retirement this time
last year. The village
is knocked about
at all and many
of the inhabitants
were leaving here
while the Bosche was
in occupation.
The are very few signs
of war in this area
the retirement having
been hurried apparently.
We are in a special
reserve which we
understand is the
result of the Versailles
conference. The corps

 

send a cable to
Auntie from Capetown
handing it to a
civilian to send
as we were not
allowed to send
fo as soldiers.

Sept 2^nd At St. Vincent Island
where we arrived at 5a.m.
this morning. A barren
desolate looking place
with a few houses
grouped together at the
foot of dingy red abrupt
mountains. We called
in here for orders
and these are that we
go to some rendezvous
unescorted & from the
rendezvous to England.
About 48hrs run we will
be escorted. Things
have been going on as
usual except for one

us and told us that
he was going to drift
across the polar seas
and expected that it
would take him 7 years
to do it. The boat he is
going in is only 120' long
& 40' wide. Eight ^men in all
are going.
Talk about the [[awashing?]]
of the trenches. I certainly
think that 7 years in
the polar seas would
about sicken one.

Feb 14 Moved from La
Clytte to near Wallon
Cappel.

Feb 17 went to St Omer with
Mallett & Smith

Feb 19 Move tomorrow
to Nesle in rear of
St Quentin. Will be
in reserve there. Corps 

or two "birthdays" on
the part of a certain
portion of the Medical
Staff, who in their high
spirits came along to
my cabin at 1.45 am
pulled me out of bed
shoved me through
my door to another
lower down pushed me
in here into the middle
of about 8 officers all
more or less blithered
I then proceeded to
pour about ¼ of the
whisky offered me
down my neck with
the result that I had
a hell of a head the
next morning. This
performance was
repeated two nights afterwards the following
in only this time they
were a little worse

We are right alongside
Clapham Junction and
Glencorse Wood. I went
over there ∧the day before
yesterday and gloated
over the bit of territory
the 2^nd Bde had taken

Feb 13^th Have been acting as
Staff Capt for the last
five days, Berkeley having
taken over Delassoe's job
as B^de Major. There
has been nothing very
trying although of course
nothing very of very great
importance handed to me.
Seem to have got into the
run of things.
Capt Raold Amundsen
was up five days
ago having a look
around the sector
He had lunch with
 

Fortunately I got wind
of this affair and
when they came to
my cabin they found
my door locked.
The same crowd have
started again today
and this time I shall
lock my door again
as I have no desire
to have the same
head again nor to
run foul of the C.O.
Ricketson & Merkli
are both better again
Struck the job this
morning of running rowing
round the ship this
morning keeping off
the niggers - the same
unclad niggers that
one sees at Suez. Hald
clad & what clothing they
have on them absolutely